Clothes, Costume Hire

Fashion 911 stocks a great range of sexy and stylish attire to make you stand out among the hordes of hip Muscovites. Doubling as an outlet for stripper costumes some of the outfits at this shop are quite revealing. But there are plenty of more modest options for the less risque. Also in stock are sexy lingerie and night gowns. Fashion 911 also deal in clubbing gear for special occasions such as Halloween and can make clothes and shoes to order.

at CarneVale 2000 make the journey worthwhile. The only downside of this store is that you can’t rent their costumes. Luckily prices are very reasonable. A basic outfit can be bought for as little as 500R ($18.50), while 2400R ($90) will buy something that will make an impact. In their range are all manner of Halloween outfits, including robes, dresses and masks, historical attire, Santa Claus costumes and a whole range of more generic apparel. CarneVale 2000 also stock costumes for kids. Address: Shchelkovskoe Shosse, #5, metro Cherkizovskaya. Tel: 725-2625. Open 9:00-20:00. Website: www.carnevale.ru.

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Arte-Grim.
One of Moscow’s best known costume outlets, Arte-Grim benefits from a central location and the option to rent costumes. They stock a great range of costumes for all occasions and are especially prolific in their assortment of wigs and hats and historical, animal and carnival costumes. Anything that costs more than 2000R ($75) can be rented for as little as 20% of the cost price if you keep it for only 24 hours. The full purchase price is required as a deposit. Arte-Grim also does professional make-up. Address: Stary Arbat Ulitsa, #38, metro Smolenskaya. Tel: 509-2730. Open Mon-Fri 10:00-20:00, Sat-Sun 10:00-19:00. Website: www.arte-grim.ru.

Krylaty Krokodil.
The downside of this place is that it’s not the sort of store where you can simply go and browse the racks. Head to their office in the Hermitage Gardens and you’ll be given a catalogue to look through. But it is an extensive catalogue with over 600 costumes for adults and children. Historical outfits are their specialty, with attire ranging from Ancient Greece to Tsarist Russia to 1920s America. Carnival costumes and pop-culture icons are also on offer. Rent starts at 1000R ($37) but five times the rental amount is required as a guarantee. Costumes can be altered to suit any frame. Address: Karetny Ryad Ulitsa, #3, Bldg. 3, Office 32, metro Chekhovskaya. Tel: 699-4716. Open 10:00-20:00. Website: www.croco.ru.